Justice Sanjay Karol retires, says judges are not gods

Justice Sanjay Karol retired from the Supreme Court on August 22, saying in his farewell speech that judges are not gods and will not get every judgment right. He emphasised that judging requires humility and the ability to see the real person behind every litigant. "The Constitution does not ask us merely to apply the law correctly. It asks us to apply it justly," he said.

Justice Karol, 62, was born in Himachal Pradesh and served as advocate general of the state before being elevated as a judge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 2007. He became chief justice of the Tripura High Court in 2018 and was transferred to the Patna High Court in 2019 before being elevated to the Supreme Court in February 2023. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and bar leaders paid tributes at his farewell.

In his address, Justice Karol said the true significance of the Supreme Court lies in the faith of an ordinary citizen. He described the duty of a judge as respecting justice and ensuring that every person standing before the court is seen and heard, and concluded by saying he was returning to "the most distinguished constitutional office", that of the ordinary citizen.